Mangroves With Co2?

[jeff davis]

Just bought some red mangroves and was wondering if a CO2 system would boost grow rates? Any thoughts?

[rockyd]

That's a real interesting idea...

I don't know if it will or not, but at least you're getting a bump here. I have not bought any because of the lengthy growth periods before the shoots actually help w/ export, but if this works...

[Plantbrain]

Mangrovs have no problem getting enough CO2, their leaves are in the air, CO2 access is not an issue like underwater. Marines systems generally are not carbon limited, lakes, ponds and tidepools can be if there's dense submersed plant growth.
pH variation is a good indicator. Tidepools can hit over 10pH.
Vernal pools can go from pH 6 at 6 am to pH10 by sunset.

You can measure your tank to see the pH's variation to see if adding CO2 would help lower it.

I use CO2 for some algal cultures, but I have not seen much need for it in a Marine tank, the algae can use the KH(HCO3) and there's plenty of that in the ocean. Many angiosperms cannot(The marine one's can+Carbon from the substrate), no mosses or liverworts can use HCO3. Most of the carbon, roughly 99% is HO3 in a marine tank and about 0.5% is CO2 at the pH of seawater. Adding lots of current and aeration keep the CO2 in solution but there's not much to begin with.

I have CO2 but have not tried adding it to my planted marine tank(yet). I don't have high expections though.The lower pH might effect the plant's enzymes a great deal or some other critter etc.

You can add CO2 to the air above and seal the Magrove in a chamber full of enriched CO2. That would increase growth some, not much for this plant.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[jeff davis]

thanks for the repleys, think i will scratch that off since they draw co2 from leaves. I just wish something out ther would boost growth of these trees besides iron and magnesium! I love mangroves and would wish to dupicate nature.

[Plantbrain]

Well a good dose of light and patience. They do pretty good in brackish water also, about 1.090-1.013 or so. I've grown them in (w/seal bottoms)pots with some soil and sand and some brackish water (enough to cover the bottom inch or so of the stem) and added a jobe's stick in every so often(every 3-4 months).
I'll change out the brine every month or so.
They should grow fine outside in the summer in full sun.
Keep them in an inch or two of water and repot as they get bigger.
Transfer to the tank after they get decent size.

It's nice that folks have to grow these out and shows a long term job when you have a nice 4-5 year old tree growing. I also grow Swamp Cedar and Bald cypress. The Cedar can take brackish, perhaps full salt.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[galleon]

"They do pretty good in brackish water also, about 1.090-1.013 or so. I've grown them in (w/seal bottoms)pots with some soil and sand and some brackish water (enough to cover the bottom inch or so of the stem) and added a jobe's stick in every so often(every 3-4 months)."

Technically, they would do just fine in full fresh water in well fertilized soil. Rhizophora is not a shoreline dweller because it can't survive in favorable conditions, it is a shoreline dweller because it is competitively inferior, and adapted to cope with the water stressed shoreline (exclusion, osmotica, aerenchyma, etc.). As adaptivity/tolerance increases, competitiveness always decreases, and vice versa.

Increasing CO2 concentrations of the water would not help unless you are agressively venting CO2 (ie, aeration, powerhead) at the site of the mangrove, as they take up CO2 from leaf stomata and lenticels (pores in the trunk and aerial roots for gas exchange).